4 Arundel

Getting a team to peak at the end of the playoffs is the hope of every coach. For Broadneck volleyball coach Romonzo Beans, that hope became a reality last night at CCBC-Essex. The defending state-champion Bruins rolled over previously unbeaten Gaithersburg, 15-4, 15-8, 15-12, in the Class 4A state semifinals. It was the third straight year that the teams have met in the state semis, and Broadneck has taken the past two meetings. Last year, the Bruins needed five games to put away the Trojans.

Chris Moran, Old Mill's No. 9 batter, started two crucial rallies without a hit and Alex Buchholz pitched and batted the host Patriots to a 6-5 victory over top-ranked and previously unbeaten Chesapeake of Anne Arundel yesterday in Millersville. Buchholz, a junior right-hander, got the win and the game-winning RBI. Moran's leadoff walk in the bottom of the fifth led to two runs as the No. 5 Patriots (11-3) tied the score at 5. Buchholz doubled in a run and Shawn Summers, who hit a three-run homer off losing pitcher Tommy Schlein (5-1)

It's playoff time, and here comes the Prophet, sports fans!In typical fashion, your rage of a sage is hot at nitty-gritty time and had such a great week (5-1) that coaches now are calling for advice and the word on what their teams will do in the playoffs."Swami, Guru or Wizard, whatever you call yourself down there, you picked us by two over Glen Burnie. Well, we did it for you, and we won by 5-3," said Chesapeake softball coach Dennis Thiele, calling on the 24-Hour Sportsline.Chesapeake was one of five picks the Prophet hit last week to run his overall record to 163-90 (.644)

Coaches around the state are going to get a chance to voice their opinion on the open tournament and its random draw. To its credit, the Maryland Public Secondary Schools Athletic Association (MPSSAA) is sending out a survey to all the coaches.It seems most agree that all-inclusive state tournaments are fine. The problem has been the lottery drawing, where mediocre teams are often rewarded while successful teams are penalized. Under the current system, it's possible that teams with losing records can draw other losing teams early in the tournament, and sometimes get home-field advantage against teams with winning records.

The rematch is on for 7 p.m. Friday in Gambrills.No. 4 Arundel (10-0), the 10th Anne Arundel County team to finish unbeaten in the regular season since 1960, will play host to Meade (7-3) in the quarterfinals of the 4A state football playoffs.The county and East Region champion Wildcats earned the top seed in the eight-team field with a 36-22 win over Meade on Friday. Meade took the eighth seed and will make its first playoff appearance since 1987.Arundel built a near-insurmountable 34-8 halftime lead to set up the rematch that doesn't have coach Bill Zucco worried.

Top-ranked Mount St. Joseph and baseball coach Dave Norton can't wait to get at Anne Arundel County tomorrow in the Jack Conley Easter Tournament to be played in Irvington.And at least one county team can't wait to get at the Gaels.Norton's Gaels (5-1) are playing host to No. 4 Arundel (3-2) and struggling Glen Burnie (0-4) along with Fallston (2-0) of Harford County. In the opening 10 a.m. games, Glen Burnie plays St. Joe while Arundel meets Fallston with the winners meeting at 3 p.m. in the championship.

No. 10 Severn School's boys basketball coaches have swapped positions. Wayne Fowler has stepped down as head coach after two seasons and Charles "Tank" Duckett, his top assistant and close friend, is the new head coach."

Tuesday is the date of the county's girls soccer showdown as No. 4 Arundel (8-0-2) visits No. 5 Severna Park (8-0-1) at 7 p.m.Both teams are well coached by Paul Yannuzzi at Arundel and Joyce Stefancik, the dean of county girls soccer coaches at Severna Park.Arundel's strength is the one-two scoring punch of Kristen Smeby and Jill Jones who will be countered by what Stefancik called in preseason "one of our better defensive teams."Severna Park's Shannon Chaney is considered to be the county's premier goalkeeper.

1 McDonogh (1-0) -- With the Baltimore Sun's 1992 Player of the Year, pitcher/shortstop Kenny Cloude (13-1, .429), back for his senior year along with 12 returnees, including junior second baseman Ian Hendricks (Elrod's son) from the MSA A Conference Championship team, coach Al Poklemba's Eagles will be tough to beat. The team just returned home from Florida where it got rained on five days and played one game, a win over a team from New Jersey. Last year: (record) 20-7; (ranking): No. 3.2 Old Mill -- Anne Arundel County is loaded with pitching, but the Patriots may have the best in southpaw Lee Haney (6-1)

Remarkable is a word to describe the football turnaround at Meade.No. 15 Meade has gone from a 1-9 season to 6-1 with a legitimate chance at a county championship and the state playoffs for the first time since 1987. Meade plays host to Chesapeake (2-6) Friday, next week visits North County (4-3) and then closes out the regular season at home against No. 4 Arundel (7-0).Arundel at Meade figures to be the game of the year in Anne Arundel County because it may decide the 4A county championship and the top seed in the 4A East Region.